Air control mechanism for shoe presses



Od. 1, 1935. v J, F SMITH 2,015,764

AIR CONTROL MECHAISM FOR SHOE PRESSES Filed Nov. 12, 1934 unimi? WHW mm IVEN-roa i Patented ct. 1,

UNITED STATES AIR CONTROL MECHANISM VFOR SHOE PRESSES John Frederick Smith, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Compo Shoe Machinery Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application Novemberm, 1934, serial No. 752,667

(i Claims.

, This invention relates to deflating mechanisms for inflatable shoe presses and the like, and more particularly to presses of the kind that are used in such shoe manufacturing operations as sole leveling, channel laying and sole aixing, etc., and has asva general object the provision of an im.- proved deflatingapparatus for shoe press machines which is simple in design and efficient in operation.

More particularly, objects of the invention are to provide press deflating apparatus usable in conjunction with shoe presses which are movable along a traverse, wherein thorough or requisite deation of the pad is effected without adversely aiecting the time element involved in the sequential moving and operating of the presses.

Further objects of the invention are to provide an air control mechanism which is simple and sure in operation, is rugged, economical, and easy to operate with a minimum of attention on the part of the operator.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemr plified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will b indicated inthe claims. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the `accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation taken along a shoe press conveyor traverse equipped in accordance with the principles of the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse-,vertical `sectional view taken along line 2`2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, showing a portion of a shoe press and its associated air control equipment; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary Vhorizontal sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

In certain shoe operations wherein pressure is to be applied to the sole of a lasted shoe, such as in sole leveling, channel laying or` in` aixing outer solesto cemented shoes, inflatable shoe presses are utilized. In one Very satisfactory form of equipment, these presses are mounted on a conveyor or similar carrier so as to be movable along a circuitous path, such path having located therealong a loading station at which each press is successively stopped so that the operator can perform the necessary shoe loading and unloading operation. At this loading station the operator customarily removes the shoe which was previously subjected to pressure in the pressimme- 5 diately before him, and thereafter inserts in the same press another shoe which, in turn, is subjected to pressure through inflation of the press pad. While deflation of the pad prior to unloading can be eleoted directly at the loading station, it is desirable to elect such deflation at a point of the press traverse which is located in advance of the loading station so that the press already will be deflated by the time it reaches the operator. Also, with some presses the time re'- 15 quired to effect deflation may exceed that needed for inflation, it taking longer to bleed the press to the atmosphere than it does to ll it under comparatively high pressure. For this reason, it is desirable that the deating valve of the press be kept open during a longer time interval than is required for the inating operation, and it is the purpose of this invention to provide improved structure which will efficiently and satisfactorily Y supply these needs.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a conveyor traverse I0 comprising a suitably elongated frame or trackway around which a press conveyor belt II may be moved by any suitable intermittent driving mechanism. The arrangement of the conveyor trav- Aerse, for example, may follow that of the shoe press machine described in the application of William C. Card, Jr., filed June 27, 1929, Serial No. 373,973, and the hereinafter described air control mechanism may, if desired, be used in conjunction with such a machine.l Upstanding cleats I2 are attached to conveyor belt II at spaced intervals and suitable lugs I3, which depend from the under side of a shoe press I4, are mounted in these cleats.

The press has an inflatable pad I 5 which, when inflated, is adapted to exert pressure against the sole of a `shoe which may be held against .such pressure by shoe supporting means such as a suitably positioned toe post and heel post, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Access to the interior of pad I5 is preferably controlled by a single inflation and deation Valve I6, although separate valves may be used `for inflating and deflating, if desired. valve I 6 may be of a type familiar in air conduits and has a normally projecting spring controlled plunger Il which, when depressed, opens the valve conduit, such conduit being closed when the plunger is in its normal outwardly projected position. Preferably the valve may be of the type shown in the application of William C. Card, Jr., filed February 12, 1930, Serial No. 427,722, although use of any suitable form of deflation control valve is contemplated.

At a point along the conveyor traverse located in advance of the loading station, a lever I8 is provided vfor the purpose of depressing valve plunger I1 soi as to initiate deflation of the pad I5. This lever is swingably mounted on a bracket I9 which is aixed to the side of the conveyor frame. Inward movement of the lever towardkthe valve plunger I1 is effected by downward movement of a rod 2D which may be actuated by any suitable treadle mechanism (not shown). This treadle arrangement preferably is coupled with the inflation controlling mechanism at the loading station for simultaneous operation of the usual air supply chuck and the herein described lever I8. The press Iii is adapted to be moved about the conveyor frame and to be stopped, by any suitable means, with the valve plunger I1 in registry with lever I8.

Means for holding the plunger I1 in its depressed pad deating position is provided, and this means is movable with the press so that air may flow from the pad I5 during such time as the press approaches the loading station. This holding means comprises a latch in the form of a bell crank lever 2'I which is pivotally mounted on a trunnion 22 projecting from the end of press Ill.

Bell crank lever 2I has an arm 23 which is located so as normally to rest above and seat upon the upper side of plunger I1, so long as such plunger is in its projected conduit closing position. A spring 24, having one end'xed to the shoe press and its other end pulling against arm 25, serves to give arm 23 a normal bias against plunger I1. As such plunger is moved inwardly b-y lever I8, spring 24 causes arm 23 to move downwardly in front of the face of plunger I1, such downward movement being limitedby a pin 26 affixed in the path of arm 25. Thus,*as lever I8V slides plunger I1 from under arm 23, the latter moves down into position to hold plunger I1 Vin its depressed condition, such arm being stopped by' pin 26 in position readilyv to 'permit the outow of air through the open valve. With the parts-in this position, deflation continues until further movement of arm The arm 23 preferably is moved away from its plunger holding position at thek loading station, and this movement is effected by means of a cam 21 which is aixed to the carrier frame adjacent l the loading station in the path of a depending arm 28 of bell crank lever 2l. As the press moves into its position of rest at the loading station, arm 28 impinges against cam 21, causing counter clockwise rotation of the bell crank lever with consequent movement of arm 23 upwardly and away from valve I6.Y While the press is at the Such movement causes arm 28 to wipe across the top of cam 21, and when it reaches the end of such cam, spring 24 is free to and does pull arm 23 down against plunger I1, which latter is in its projectedY position following the recent loading operation. Thepar'ts continue in this position until the press again reaches the station opposite lever I3, whereupon the cycle of operations is repeated.

It will be seen that by means of the described arrangement, deation of the press is initiated at 5 a point in advance of the loading station, and such deflation is insured through a suitable time interval so that the press is sufficiently deflated when it reaches the loading operator, and this without in any way delaying or interfering with the time factor involved in operation ofthe machine.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing l5 from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of thegeneric and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might 25 be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a shoe press machine the combination comprising an inflatable shoe press, a valve on said press normally biased in closed position for controlling the pressure therein, means for moving said press along a traverse, means movable with said press for holding said valve open, and means fixed with respect to said traverse for disengaging said holding means from said valve.

2. In a shoe press machine the combination comprising an inflatable shoe press, a valve on said press for controlling deflation thereof, means for moving said press along a traverse, an arm swingably mounted on said press, spring means urging said arm into position to hold said valve open, and fixed cam means along said traverse for moving said arm out of holding relation with said valve.

3. In a shoe press machine the combination comprising an inflatable shoe press, a valve on said press for controlling deation thereof, means for moving said press about a traverse, means for opening said valve, a movable arm on said press for holding said valve open after its actuation by'said opening means, and xed cam means along said traverse for moving said arm out of holding relation with said valve.

4. In a. shoe press machine the combination comprising an inflatable shoe press, a valve on said press for controlling deflation thereof, means for moving said press about a trave-rse, means for opening said valve, a movable arm on said press, spring means urging said arm into position to hold said valve open after its actuation by said opening means, and fixed cam means along said traverse for moving said arm out of holding relation with said valve.

5. In a shoe press machine the combination comprising an inflatable shoe press, a valve on said press for controlling deflation thereof, a carrier frame providing a loading station, means for moving said press about said frame, means located in advance of said loading station for opening said valve, a movable arm on said press for holding said valve open after its actuation by said ope-ning means, and fixed cam means on said frame for moving said arm out of holding 7 5 relation with said valve after movement of said press toward said loading station.

6. In a shoe press machine the combination comprising an inatable shoe press, a. valve on said press for controlling deflation thereof, said valve having a normally projected plunger adapted to open said valve when depressed, means formoving said press along a traverse, means located along said traverse for depressing said plunger, an arm swingably mounted on said press, spring means urging said arm against the side of said plunger when the latter is projected and in holding relation against the end thereof when depressed, and cam means along said traverse for moving said arm away from the end of said plunger to permit it to assume its projected position.

JOHN FREDERICK SMITH. 

